Probiotic properties of DG101 isolated from the traditional Japanese fermented food nattō.

Spore-forming probiotic bacteria offer interesting properties as they have an intrinsic high stability, and when consumed, they are able to survive the adverse conditions encountered during the transit thorough the host gastrointestinal (GI) tract. A traditional healthy food, nattō, exists in Japan consisting of soy fermented by the spore-forming bacterium natto. The consumption of nattō is linked to many beneficial health effects, including the prevention of high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular-associated disease.

Regulation of Biofilm Aging and Dispersal in by the Alternative Sigma Factor SigB.

Bacterial biofilms are important in natural settings, biotechnology, and medicine. However, regulation of biofilm development and its persistence in different niches is complex and only partially understood. One key step during the biofilm life cycle is dispersal, when motile cells abandon the mature biofilm to spread out and colonize new niches.

Determination of NO and CSF Levels Produced by .

The cell-to-cell communication and division of labour that occurs inside a beneficial biofilm produce significant differences in gene expression compared with the gene expression pattern of cells grew under planktonic conditions. In this sense, the levels of NO (nitric oxide) and CSF (Competence Sporulation Stimulating Factor) produced in cultures have been measured only under planktonic growth conditions. We sought to determine whether NO and/or CSF production is affected in cells that develop as a biofilm.

Culturing Bacteria from Gut to Assess Colonization Proficiency.

Determining an accurate count of intestinal bacteria from is one critical way to assess colonization proficiency by a given bacteria. This can be accomplished by culturing appropriate dilutions of worm gut bacteria on selective or differential agarized media. Because of the high concentration of bacteria in gut worm, dilution is necessary before plating onto growth media.

Microbial flora, probiotics, and the search for a long and healthy human longevity.

Probiotics are live microorganisms that have beneficial effects on host health, including extended lifespan, when they are administered or present in adequate quantities. However, the mechanisms by which probiotics stimulate host longevity remain unclear and very poorly understood. In a recent study ( 8, 14332 (2017) doi: 10.